TWO SERBIAN CEMETERIES, CHAPEL AND CHURCH IN MOSTAR, AND CHURCH IN ČELEBIĆI REGISTERED AS STATE-OWNED

MOSTAR, JANUARY 21 /SRNA/ - The Municipal Court in Mostar has recorded in the land registry that the “state” is the owner of two cemeteries, one in Vrapčići with a chapel, and one in Gornji Vrapčići with a church, as well as a church in Čelebići, Konjic.

In the registry, the Serbian Orthodox cemetery in Vrapčići, known as Kraljevina, with its chapel located near the former “Đuro Salaj” industrial complex, was listed as socially owned, as well as another cemetery, known as Podvornica, in Gornji Vrapčići, with a church. The registration was carried out by the clerk of the Municipal Court of Mostar, Meadin Balavac.

Serbs in the Neretva Valley are shocked and concerned by the news, which, they emphasize, they learned about through the media. All of this is causing unease. They explain that this is Serbian land, as evidenced by the graves of their deceased.

A resident of Vrapčići, Drago Antelj, told SRNA that his ancestors have always been buried in the local cemetery, as shown by tombstones dating back 200 years.

"Our people gave the land, and we have always considered it ours and the Church’s. It was never a question whose land it was. The Antelj, Vučić, Kuzman, and Šanjević families are buried in that cemetery. We never could have imagined that something like this could happen. It is not only us who are concerned, but the entire Serbian community in the Neretva Valley,” Antelj emphasized.

He added that people are now wondering what awaits them tomorrow.

Branko Milović, who has lived next to the cemetery in Vrapčići for more than 60 years, told SRNA that before the war, residents purchased land to expand the Kraljevina cemetery.

“People born here as far back as 1804 have been buried in this cemetery up to the present day. I learned from the media that our cemetery was registered in the ‘state's' name, and it is unclear on what basis. This has always belonged to the Church parish,” Milović said.

He emphasized that after this, no one can feel secure; if something is taken in this way, how can you be confident in your life and survival?

The head priest of the Cathedral Church in Mostar, Father Duško Kojić, told SRNA that the Serbian Orthodox Church parish in Mostar learned about this unpleasant situation through the media and immediately engaged lawyers.

“We did not know this, not because we are negligent or do not take care of our property, but because no reasonable person could have expected something like this, as it has been owned by the Serbian Orthodox Church parish in Mostar for centuries,” Father Kojić emphasized.

He noted that the Church is aware of the land harmonization process but pointed out that, according to the law, they should have been notified as a party in the procedure.

“No one has ever invited us to give our opinion or to take any action. All of this is very concerning,” Kojić warned.

According to him, the Law on Land Registers of the Federation of BiH states that the Court is obliged to notify any known person with a legal interest in the property, but the Church in Mostar was not informed.

“It seems that in 2026 the Church parish is considered an unknown person in Mostar,” Kojić emphasized.

The priest also noted that they learned that the church in the Čelebići settlement in Konjic has likewise been registered in the name of the "state."

“These actions create unease and distrust among the people who live here. People fear that the taking of property will continue, both from individuals and the Church. Just when we think things are moving in a better direction, news like this hits us and brings us back to a reality that is not so good,” Kojić said.

He remains hopeful, however, that the situation will be resolved. “Once we go through these procedures, we will see whether it is a matter of bad intent or an administrative oversight,” Kojić added.

The Committee for the Protection of the Rights of Serbs in the Federation of BiH stated that the Mostar Court registered the “state” as the owner of property belonging to the Serbian Orthodox Church during the harmonization of the land registry and cadastre for the Vrapčići cadastral municipality.

In the municipal cadastre, the Serbian Orthodox Church parish is still registered as the owner.

According to the Committee, since the Municipal Court in Mostar had access to the cadastral municipal records, it could have determined that an Orthodox cemetery is located on the specified parcel and that the Serbian Orthodox Church parish is registered as the owner.

While investigating the facts and circumstances and reviewing the records, the Committee for the Protection of the Rights of Serbs in the Federation of BiH established that the Mostar Court registered the Medžlis of the Islamic Community in Mostar as the owner of the parcel containing the mosque in Vrapčići.

“The registration of the Medžlis of the Islamic Community in Mostar was carried out on February 28, 2020, as part of the harmonization process. Interestingly, the registration was performed by the same court clerk who registered the ‘state’ as the owner of the Serbian cemeteries and chapel,” the Committee emphasized.

They stressed that no one objects to the Islamic Community being registered as the owner where there is a mosque, or the Catholic Church where there is a Catholic church, but they believe the same rule should apply to the Serbian Orthodox Church.

“Registering Serbian Orthodox cemeteries and chapels as property of the ‘state’ clearly serves another purpose,” the Committee emphasized.

An inquiry was sent to the Municipal Court of Mostar asking on what basis the registration of the Orthodox cemeteries and church as state property was carried out, but no response was provided in the course of the day.